Here's What We Like About Shutterstock's (NYSE:SSTK) Upcoming Dividend
Regular readers will know that we love our dividends at Simply Wall St, which is why it's exciting to see Shutterstock, Inc. (NYSE:SSTK) is about to trade ex-dividend in the next four days. Ex-dividend means that investors that purchase the stock on or after the 3rd of March will not receive this dividend, which will be paid on the 18th of March.
Shutterstock's next dividend payment will be US$0.21 per share, and in the last 12 months, the company paid a total of US$0.84 per share. Calculating the last year's worth of payments shows that Shutterstock has a trailing yield of 1.0% on the current share price of $86.28. Dividends are an important source of income to many shareholders, but the health of the business is crucial to maintaining those dividends. As a result, readers should always check whether Shutterstock has been able to grow its dividends, or if the dividend might be cut.
Check out our latest analysis for Shutterstock
Dividends are usually paid out of company profits, so if a company pays out more than it earned then its dividend is usually at greater risk of being cut. Shutterstock paid out a comfortable 34% of its profit last year. That said, even highly profitable companies sometimes might not generate enough cash to pay the dividend, which is why we should always check if the dividend is covered by cash flow. The good news is it paid out just 18% of its free cash flow in the last year.
It's positive to see that Shutterstock's dividend is covered by both profits and cash flow, since this is generally a sign that the dividend is sustainable, and a lower payout ratio usually suggests a greater margin of safety before the dividend gets cut.
Click here to see the company's payout ratio, plus analyst estimates of its future dividends.
Have Earnings And Dividends Been Growing?
Businesses with strong growth prospects usually make the best dividend payers, because it's easier to grow dividends when earnings per share are improving. If earnings decline and the company is forced to cut its dividend, investors could watch the value of their investment go up in smoke. That's why it's comforting to see Shutterstock's earnings have been skyrocketing, up 30% per annum for the past five years. Earnings per share have been growing very quickly, and the company is paying out a relatively low percentage of its profit and cash flow. Companies with growing earnings and low payout ratios are often the best long-term dividend stocks, as the company can both grow its earnings and increase the percentage of earnings that it pays out, essentially multiplying the dividend.
Given that Shutterstock has only been paying a dividend for a year, there's not much of a past history to draw insight from.
The Bottom Line
Is Shutterstock worth buying for its dividend? We love that Shutterstock is growing earnings per share while simultaneously paying out a low percentage of both its earnings and cash flow. These characteristics suggest the company is reinvesting in growing its business, while the conservative payout ratio also implies a reduced risk of the dividend being cut in the future. It's a promising combination that should mark this company worthy of closer attention.
In light of that, while Shutterstock has an appealing dividend, it's worth knowing the risks involved with this stock. For example, we've found 2 warning signs for Shutterstock that we recommend you consider before investing in the business.
If you're in the market for dividend stocks, we recommend checking our list of top dividend stocks with a greater than 2% yield and an upcoming dividend.
This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.
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